Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1887-08-12
4 ROMANCE IN REAL LIRE.

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james Hhitcon,J Rfey in Century
4 ROMANCE IN REAL LIFE
From the Knoxville, (Tenn) Daily Sentinel
There are living now in the city of Knox
vile, a welded couple who have for many
years lived most happily together, and have
reared an interesting family, the eldest son
now being young man nearly grown. The
story Of the first meeting of this worthy
couple, nearly 30 years ago, and their sub
sequent marriage, has in it more of romance
than many a creation of the imagination :
and is 30 full Of interest that we cannot re-
sist the temptation to give it to our readers,
although we have been requested by the
gentleman not to do so.
In the winter of 1Sj9-60, Lake Cham
plain was frozen solidly almost the entire
winter, and the young people in reach Of
its shores enjoyed the healthful and excit-
ing pleasure of skating TO the fullest ex-
tent. Along towards spring thaw came
and the surface Of the ice was somewhat
| softened by the warm rays Of the sun. This
was followed by a long, hard rain which
covered the frozen surface of the lake with
| clear, pure water. All hope Of any more
| when suddenly the weather changed again,
the skies cleared and in one cold, still night
the water standing on the ice was frozen
/ as hard as adamant, and the surface of the
ice which before was somewhat rough and
uneven was then perfectly smooth and
again the skaters were skimming over the
| level surface Of the ice-covered lake
For several days the cold weather con
| tlnued, and one evening. the last on which
the steel runners of the skates were heard
ringing on the ice Of Lake Champlain that
winter, two young men, just turned into
| the twenties, one a native Of New York
who was on the Vermont side in the en-
| ploy Of the Champain Navigation company
and the other a Vermont boy whose home
was near, went out on Shelburne point with
their skates, and were soon gliding swiftly
| about on Shelburue bay Nearing the end
Of the point where it was low and narrow
they could see on the other side, skating
| on the main body of the lake four young
ladies', with three of whom they were ac-
quainted. Taking off their skates, the
| young men ran across the point and Joined
| the girls, and soon the merry laughter of
the young people was ringing over the
| frozen lake as they merrily SKINNED along
| the smooth surface of the ice The Young
lady unknown TO the boys was a beautiful
East Tennessee girl, visiting two of her
| school-mates in Vermont
In the distance toward the north Rock
Dunder could be seen, a black column ris-
ing up from the glittering ice mantle of the
| lake and after several minutes of skating
near the point, one of the young ladies pro
posed that they all take race out to the
| rock. The other girls seconded the sugges-
ton, and in a trice they were skimming
| away toward the rock When this was
| reached, still further away could be seen
| Juniper island, which was Just three miles
| from Shelburne point, the place from which
the party started. The merry young peo-
| pie soon concluded to go on the island, and
in few minutes they were all gliding slow
| ly around the island when the young New
Yorker stopped suddenly with a quick,
sharp cry, and pointed to dense, dark fog
| rolling swiftly down from the north. They
all knew what that meant for any one
caught out on the ice in the fog and turn
| ing quickly they dashed away in desperate
race with the darkness that was rushing
| down upon them. But before they got
fairly away from the island the advance
mist Of the fog was gathering about them,
and they knew that they could not reach
Shelburne point before they should be
wrapped in almost impenetrable darkness
Stopping for a minute, the plan of action
| was determined The New York bov was
to lead with one of the ladies' following as
| closely as possible the marks made by the
skates as the party went out one of the
| Vermont ladies', the older one, was to follow
him, and the young Vermonter was to as
sist the other two girls who could not skate
so well. Just as the blackness of the fog
swept down upon them they started again
in the arranged order. Almost in an in
slant the light of the sun had been shut out
| and all the frozen lake was wrapped in a
shroud of darkness, The young people
| spoke not a word, nothing could be seen
and the fearful silence was broken only by
the ring of the flying skates on the ice.
| The young man who had charge of the two
| girls assisted them all that he could and
closely followed the young lady in front of
him. No one knew how time passed nor
how long they went without speaking nor
how far but finally, believing that they
| had gone more than twice the distance from
the island TO the point, the young man be-
hind called to the lady he followed and
asked her if she could see the land. She
answered that she could not, and then the
young man told her to call TO the leader and
stop him for a second consultation The
girl answered that she had entirely lost
sight of the leader, and did not know
whether or not they were following him,
but had all the time thought they were.
| Greatly alarmed the young man advanced,
and examining the ice found it perfectly
smooth, with no marks of steel upon it.
He then, still with the two girls held by
their belts before him, took the lead, in
structing the young lady, who had before
been in advance, to follow him closely.
Again they started, and again for some
time they sped swiftly along in silence. Fl
nally the girls began to be alarmed, and one
of them asked the young man if they were
not lost. He told her that they were, but
that he hoped soon to reach the shore at
some point, even if they could not get back
to the place from which they started Then
the lady who had led the others out of the
right direction, sank sobbing upon the ice
and declared that she could 90 no further
The companion of the girls encouraged her
all he could, and the brave East Tennessee
girl voluntarily relinquished her place at
the young mans side, and the almost faint
ing lady who had been skating alone, then
had the assistance of a supporting arm.
They started once more and after going
rapidly for some time, suddenly a bright
ray of sunlight broke through rift in the
dense fog and lit up the tops of two mount
aims on the shore not far away. All stopped
instantly, and for some minutes stood look
ing at the sun-lit mountain tops without be
ing able TO decide where they were Sud
denly one of the ladies asked, Are not
those the Rattlesnake mountains :" and
then the Nermonter recognized the crests
with which he had been familiar from child
hood, and knew he was near the New York
shore and fully 10 miles from ShelburnC
point. He knew that Wilsborough point
ON the New York side was not far off but
he concluded that it would be better TO get
back TO the Vermont side that night and
so turning about they began their return
By keeping the sun lit mountain tops exact
ly behind him the young man was able t.
go directly toward the point he wished t.
reach.
After an hours hard skating the rain be
gan TO fall, the sunlight on the mountain
tops faded away, and hope was dying with
in the bosoms of the three girls, when they
heard a shout. Just as the Young Vermont
er answered it the ice gave way beneath hi,
feet and he sank into the cold water of tn,
lake, leaving his companions standing OF
either side of a treacherous air hole whicl
had opened TO receive him. They spranl
quickly away, sending wild screams ring
ing over the frozen lake. But the BRAY,
girl of East Tennessee glided up TO tn,
opening in the ice and when hand ap
peared above the dark water threw into il
one end of a wrap which she had quickly
taken from her shoulders, The hand grasp